President Joe Biden’s interview with ABC News on Friday evening hasn’t dissuaded fears about his mental acuity just yet, as he faces growing calls to step down from Democratic lawmakers.
In a 22-minute uncut interview with George Stephanopoulos, the president assured Americans he is fit to run for president and could defeat his Republican opponent, Donald Trump, in November.
But he stopped short of committing to undergoing an independent cognitive examination, given how poorly his debate performance went last week. Biden’s soft-spoken interview with the news outlet seemingly failed to exceed expectations.
By Saturday morning, a fifth Democratic lawmaker called on Biden to drop out of the race.
Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries has apparently scheduled a virtual meeting on Sunday with senior House Democrats to discuss Biden’s path forward, according to reports.
So far, the president has remained adamant he will continue running for president.
Trump claims to know ‘nothing’ about Project 2025
Donald Trump claimed to know “nothing about Project 2025”, the playbook created by the Heritage Foundation to limit power only to the executive branch and fill roles with Trump allies.
On Truth Social on Friday, the former president said, “I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”
Project 2025 has been trending on social media as people share concerns about the presidential transition project, authored by individuals who are former senior officials in the Trump administration.
That includes Paul Dans, the project’s director, who served as chief of staff in the Office of Personnel Management under Trump and John McEntee, a senior adviser, who is also the former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office.
Trump is seemingly trying to distance himself from the 922-page plan amid negative attention on it.
Ariana Baio6 July 2024 19:00
Democratic lawmakers holding virtual meeting to discuss Biden’s campaign: report
Democratic leaders within the House are set to hold a virtual meeting on Sunday to discuss President Joe Biden’s path to victory following his poor debate performance against Donald Trump and calls for Biden to step down.
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries is set to virtually meet with other senior Democratic House members, including congressional committees, according to reports.
It arrives as some Democratic House members have begun to splinter off and publicly call for Biden to remove himself from the 2024 presidential election.
Ariana Baio6 July 2024 18:30
Those close to Biden are taking note of his physical aging, report says
Aides, foreign officials, Congressional members, donors and others who interact with President Joe Biden, have noted his physical aging is more noticeable recently than it was even a year ago, a report from The Washington Post says.
Biden, 81, is the oldest president to old office.
Some close to the president have noted that he moves slower, speaks more softly and loses his train of thought occasionally. All of these are typical signs of aging.
Despite this, several senior White House aides said the president engages in meaningful conversation, asks detailed questions and can recall facts from previous meetings.
Ariana Baio6 July 2024 18:00
Watch: Joe Biden refuses to commit to taking cognitive test or releasing results
Ariana Baio6 July 2024 17:30
More delays in Trump’s classified documents case
The federal judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case has paused the deadlines for some filings in the case and granted the former president’s request for briefings to dismiss the indictment based on presidential immunity.
Judge Aileen Cannon said in an order on Saturday that Trump’s lawyers, and special counsel Jack Smith, will have until July 21st to submit briefings on how aspects of presidential immunity may affect the case.
In this case, the former president is accused of willfully retaining classified documents that included sensitive national security information at his Mar-a-Lago home after he left office.
But after the Supreme Court ruled Trump and other presidents have immunity from prosecution for “official acts” – Trump is arguing that immunity may extend into some of the charges brought against him in this case.
Ariana Baio6 July 2024 17:07
Intense debate prep left a cold-stricken Biden ‘worn out’ from cram sessions
President Joe Biden’s cold was worse than previously reported as the president underwent cram sessions during prep ahead of his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, according to a new report.
Aides and Biden, 81, have blamed the cold and rejected concerns regarding his age and stamina. Two days before the debate, it was so bad Biden could barely speak, the five sources told Politico.
After a short mock debate, the president chose to rest instead of participating in additional sessions that day. Two days before the June 27 debate, Biden took two COVID tests that both came back negative.
The following day was packed with prep, including policy huddles and a smaller mock debate, as aides tried to make up for lost time. Another session was held on Thursday before Biden headed to Atlanta for the debate.
A number of advisors regretted that final session but still couldn’t foresee Biden’s dismal performance.
“All it did was wear him out and muddle things,” one source told the outlet.
Gustaf Kilander6 July 2024 16:30
Biden says his doctors told him he was ‘exhausted’
President Joe Biden said he consulted his doctors after his poor debate performance who told him he was “exhausted.”
“[The doctor]– just looked at me and said, ‘You’re exhausted.’ That’s it. I have medical doctors travel with me everywhere. Every President does, as you know. Medical doctors, some of the best in the world travel with me everywhere I go. I have an ongoing assessment of what I’m doin’, and they don’t hesitate to tell me if they think there’s something wrong,” Biden told ABC News on Friday evening.
Ariana Baio6 July 2024 16:00
Joe Biden’s ABC interview went better than the debate. That’s what’s so scary
“There’s not a lot to feel good about here.
Joe Biden — the man who put on a good show in 2019 on a packed-out stage of Democratic hopefuls to become the official presidential nominee — now struggles to answer questions coherently, even in a softball interview like the one tonight on ABC News with George Stephanopoulos.
As Stephanopoulos repeatedly asked the president what happened on the debate stage when he floundered in front of Donald Trump, Biden replied, “I had a bad night,” or, “I just had a bad night,” and eventually, “I had a bad night. I don’t know why.””
Holly Baxter6 July 2024 15:30
Democratic rep calls for Biden to ‘step aside’
Minnesota Representative Angie Craig has called for President Joe Biden to “step aside” from the 2024 presidential race because of his poor debate performance.
“I have great respect for President Biden’s decades of service to our nation and his steadfast commitment to making our country a better place,” Craig wrote.
“However, given what I saw and heard from the President during last week’s debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the President himself following the debate, I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump,” she continued.
Craig said she did not come to her decision lightly but believes there is “too much at stake” to risk losing the election to Trump.
She asked the president to make room for a new generation of leaders within the party.
Ariana Baio6 July 2024 15:02
Debate was ‘a bad night’, Biden says
President Joe Biden said the first presidential debate was a “bad night” for him but assured Americans that he is still well enough to run a successful presidential campaign and defeat Donald Trump in November.
When speaking with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Friday evening, Biden raised various reasons why he did not do well in the debate including that Donald Trump distracted him, he was tired, had recently been traveling, had a cold and did not prepare well.
“ It was a bad episode. No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and– and a bad night,” Biden said.
Ariana Baio6 July 2024 14:41